Controlling system.



A. F. DIXON.

CONTROLLING SYSTEM.

APPLICATION FILED JAN-24,19I4.

1,192,171. 1 Patented July 25,1916.

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M. by Any AMOS r. DIXON, or NEWARK, NEW JERSEY, assirenoa, BY MESNE assmn ENTs, To ,WES'IERN' ELECTRIC GOMPANY, INCORPORATED, A coaroim ron or nEw YoEK.

1 ConTEoLLIne SYSTEM.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, AMos F. DIXON, a

citizen of the United States, residing at Newark, in the county of Essex andState of New Jersey, have invented a certain new and useful Improvement in Controlling .Systems, of whichthe following is a full,

clear, concise, and exact description.

This invention relates to controlling systems and more particularly to controlling systems wherein the medium operated upon controls the action of the operating mecha description and claims, and will be more readily understood by reference to the ac companying drawing in which the invention is shown embodied as a part of an automatic printing telegraph system. v,

The medium or member operated upon, in the illustrated embodiment of the invention, is a perforated automatic transmitter controlling paper tape, while the operating mechanism comprises an automatic signal trans mitter. A tape 5 passes from any sort of a tape storage or preparing device 6 to an automatic transmitter 7. The tape5 is pro vided with signal openings 8 which control the character of thecurrent impulses sup plied by the transmitter 7. -None of the transmitter mechanism, by means. of which the signal openings 8 control the impulses, is shown since it may be any one of'several well known structures. In addition to the signal openings 8 there ap ears in the tape 5 a longitudinal row of fged-openings 10.

These feed openings are adapted to be en gaged by pins 11 mounted on the circumference of a feed wheel 12, whereby the.

tape may be drawn from the storage or preparing mechanlsm 6. The storage or precaring mechanism 6 is shown d1agrammat1- Specification of Letters Patent. Patented ir- W25, 1916i Application-filed January 24, 1914. Serial Nil 814,131. 4

cally and may be in the form of a tape holder of any .sort, or it may be the mechanism which prepares the tape or punches the signal controlling openings therein.-

It has been found that without this inl vention, in case the holder for any reason quentlyprevents the further progress of the tape.

The feedwheelll2 is mounted upon and turns with a shaft 15 which also carries a ratchet wheel 16. The .ratchetwheel 16 is adapted to be operated by a pawl 17 carried by an armature 18 of an electromagnet 19. When the electromagnet therefore attracts its armature 18 the feed wheel 12 is rotated to advance the tape 5 one step.

The'en'ergizing coils 25 of electromagnet 19 receive currentthrough a conductor 26. The'circuit, of which conductor 26 forms a part, divides and passes through the two windings 27 and 28 of an electromagnet or relay 30. These windings are differentially wound so that when current is flowing through them both, their magnetizing ef- 'fects neutralize each other and armature 31 is not attracted. The branch circuit through winding 27 leads to a switch terminal 35. Terminal 35 :is adapted to be engaged by the movable contact terminal 36, mounted upon and insulated from a block 37 pivoted at 38. The block 37 also carries an arm or lever 45which projects over the band or strip of tape, extending between the storage 6 and the transmitter 7,. A spring 46 secured to the block 37 and theframe (not shown) normally holds the arm 45 down against a stop 47 in which condition contacts 35 and 36 are in engagement. As long as the tape 5 passes between the storage 6 and the trans- .mitter 7 with suilicient slack, the spring 46 retains arm 45 depressed and holds contacts 35 and 36 closed. When, however, due to a stoppage of the supply of tape for any reason,the tension thereon becomes sufiicient to raise theouterend of arm 45 against the tension of spring 46, contacts 35 and 36 areseparated for a purpose to be presently explained.

The circuit through winding QS of relay 30 passes to a movable contact 50, through a fixed contact 51, to a point 53, to which contact 36 is also joined by conductor 54. From point 53 the circuit leads to a source of energy 55 through a switch 56 and a resistance 57. Switch 56 is adapted to be intermittently opened. and closed by any suitable means in order to produce step-by-step motion of the tape 5 by energizing the coils 25 of the electromagnet 19. This energizing circuit extends from grounded source of energy 55, resistance 57, switch 56 to dividing point 53, thence in parallel through contacts 36, and winding 27 and conductor 52, Con tacts 51, and winding 28, thence by conductor 26 and coils 25.to ground. Therefore, each time switch 56 is closed, armature 18 is attracted and the feedwheel 12 is rotated one step to advance the tape, and each time switch 56 is opened, armature 18 falls back preparatory to producing the next step.

Armature 31 of relay 30 is adapted, upon its attraction, to engage movable .contact 50, separating it from fixed contact 51 to break one branch of the parallel circuit above traced. Armature 31 is connected to a grounded source of energy through the resistance 61 which is shunted by a signal lamp 62. Resistances 61 and 57 are approximately equal so as to equalize the flow of current through winding 27 from source of energy 55, and winding 28 from source of 'energy 60, in order that the restoration of the circuit through contacts35, 36 may result in the deenergization of relay 30. A locking spring clip is positioned to hold the arm 45 elevated and thus retain the contact springs 35 and 36 separated when the arm is raised above a cam surface 66.

The operation of the system is as follows: Each time the switch 56 isv closed and opened, the tape "5 is stepped ahead as explained above. If for any reason the supply of tape is decreased or entirely stopped, the slack between storage 6 and transmitter 7 diminishes and, if the condition is continued. the tension therein raises arm 45, separating contacts 35 and 36. Now upon the next closing of switch 56, the impulse instead of dividing at point 53, passes entirely through conductor 52, contacts 51, 50, winding 28 of relay 30, conductor 26, coils 25 to ground. The armature 18 is attracted as before and the tape is stepped one more space. The impulse passing through only one winding of difi erential relay 30 also causes-that relay to attract its armature 31. Armature 31 engages movable contact 50, causing it to become disengaged from fixed contact-51 and a circuit is established from grounded source of energy60, through resistance 61 and sig nal lamp 62 in parallel, armature 31, movable contact 50, winding 28 of relay 30, conductor 26 and coils 25 to ground. It is readily apparent that the differential relay 30 insufficient.

56. The tape thereupon can no longer be advanced by the action of switch 56. Signal lamp 62 bridged around resistance 61 receives sufiicient current to light up, notifying an attendant that the supply of tape is When the tape is again supplied in suflicient quantities .to. provide enough slack between storage 6 and transmitter 7 to allow spring 46' to depress arm 45, contacts 35 and 36 become engaged. Upon the next closing of switch 56, an impulse passes to coils 25, through differential winding 27, which thereupon neutralizes the effect of the current in the holding circuit passing through winding 28, causing relay 30 to release its armature 31 and open the holding circuit previously traced. During the remainder of the interval of the closing of switch 56, current flows from battery 55, through the parallel path previously traced, and relay 30 remains dee'nergized. The subsequent opening of switch 56 causes the deenergization of electromagnet 19 and the tape can again be fed step by step as previously described.

Incase it is desired to permanently lock the feeding apparatus, the arm 45 may be raised above cam 66 on spring clip 65, separating contacts 35 and 36 with the same result as previously explained.

What I claim is:

1. A tape controlling system comprising a tape moving device, an electromagnet for controlling said device, means for supplying intermittent current to said electromagnet to cause the advancement of the tape,

and means controlled by the tape to alter the magnetic conditions of said electromagnet to arrest the advancement of the tape.

' 2. A tape controlling system comprising,"

a tape moving devlce, an electromagnet for controlling said device, means for supplying intermittent current to said electromagnet to cause the advancement of the tape, and means controlled by the tape for supplying steady current to said, electromagnet to arrest the movement ofthe tape.

3. A tape controlling system comprising an electrically actuated tape moving device,

a circuit therefor having two branches, a

said branches, and means for causing said relay to open a branch circuit and close said locking circuit.

5. A tape controlling system comprising a tape moving mechanism, means for causing the operation of said mechanism, a relay having two differential windings for controlling the effect of said means, an arm parallel branches, a relay having a winding in each of said branches, said windings being diflerentially wound, a break in one of said branches controlled by the tension in said tape, a break in the other of said branches controlled by said relay, a switch for causing the, operation of said electromagnet over said circuit and branches, a locking circuit for said electromagnet and s'aidrelay, and means actuated by said relay upon the opening of the break controlled by said tape for opening the break in the other of said branches and establishing said locking circuit, whereby said switch is rendered ineffective to operate said electromagnet. b

7. In an automatic tape transmitter, an electromagnet, means for operating said electromagnet intermittently for the transmission of signals to line, together with means co-acting with said electromagnet for automatically starting the transmission of signals, substantially as described.

8. In an automatic tape transmitter, an

electromagnet, means for operating said electromagnet intermittently for the transmission of signals to line, together with means co-acting with said electromagnet for automatically starting and stopping the transmission of signals, substantially as described.

In witness whereof, I hereunto subscrlbe my name this 23d day of January A. D.,

AMOS F. DIXON. Witnesses:

NANON E. TUTHILL, ALICE HAZLEY. 

